Tube coupling



July 25, 1944. A.- L PARKER TUBE COUPLING Filed Sept. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 25, 1944. A KE 7 2,354,538

TUBE COUPLING Filed Sept. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 25, 1944 roar. COUPLING Arthur L; Parker, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Parker Appliance "Company, Cleveland; Ohio, a corporation of Ohio .1 Application swe er 27, 1940, Serial nmsaau 3 Claims. (01. 28 5- 91.

The present invention relates tonew useful improvements in tube couplings, and more-particularl'y. to improvements in a coupling for flexibly' andfelastically clamping the end of ametal 7 7 The invention relates generally to the provision of a tube or pipe coupling for flexibly and elastically securing a tube or pipe within coupling members in such a manner as to provides. fluid tight connection. .Theflexible and elastic con-.

nectionpermits the tube to shift slightly relative to the coupling members so that strains imposed on the tube will be absorbed by the elastic con-.

nection. Particularly in aircraft uses, the .tube;

or pipe lines are subjected-to excessive strains due to vibration, and failureof the tube couplings often results'be'cause of such strains. Similarly,

pushing or pulling strains on the tube should'be absorbed. The present invention is particularly concerned with overcoming these difliculties and the coupling includes a pair of coupling members threadedly engaging one another. and an elastic packing which surrounds and directly contactswiththe tube. Upon tightening of'thecoupllng members relative to one another, the: elastic packingis caused to tightly clamp the tube so as ,to provide an elastic and flexible, fluid tight joint.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tube coupling of the above type wherein any tendency for the elastic packing to extrude from its confining space upon tightening ofthe coupling members is effectively prevented.

Another object of :the invention is tofprovide' a tube coupling of the above type wherein at least the ends of the elastic packing are provided with a flexible and relatively non-stretchable material so as'toprevent extrusion of the elastic packing upon tightening of the coupling members. r

A further object of the invention istoprovide a tube coupling of the above type wherein the elastic packing directly contacts with the tube and is otherwise substantiallygconflned .by the coupling members. and wherein covering means are provided for the elastic packing in the regions between the coupling members and the tube so as to prevent extrusion of the elastic packing therebetween.

The above and other objects of the invention.

will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing one form of tubecoupling with the coupling members positioned prior to tightening thereof. Figure 2 is a sectionalview, similar toFigure 1,

showing thegpositions-of the parts afterithe couiplingmemb'ers have beentightened"relativeto one another.

Figure 3 is a verticalsect'ional view showings.

modified form of, coupling.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary verticaLsectiOnshoWQ ing a further modified form of coupling.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing one form of elastiC backing member. Figure 6 is a view, similar to Figure 5, showing a modified form of packing member. Q. 7

Figure 7 is a view, similar to Figures 5 and 6,

but showing astill further modified form of pack ing member. 7 v I 1 Referring more in detail to theaccompanying drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2,; the coupling is illustrated as including a male coupling member l0 and afemale coupling memher ll which threadedly. engage one'another as at ll. i The male coupling member "is provided with a central fluid passage li and an annular. recessed portion i4 within the externally threaded skirt portion IS with which the female coupling. g 7 member H engages. An inwardly extending an 25' nular rib I6 is provided adjacent the endof the skirt portion I5on the male coupling member and the end .oftheskirt portion is providedwith an outwardly and upwardly tapered surface I] above the rib It; The female coupling member I I is provided with an inwardly directed shoulder portion I8 which extends around the tube T but is slightly spaced therefrom. A depending an- I nular rib portion 19 is provided'on the inner. surface of the shoulder I 8 on the female coupling? member. The inner end of the tube T is prefer ably provided with an outwardly flared portion I 20 which is of an externaldiameter substantially equal toand not greater than the internal diameter of the rib IS onthe male coupiing member so as .to permit the tube to be inserted into the.

recess-1|] within the skirt portion on the male coupling member. jv

The elastic packing 2| preferably consists of a synthetic rubber composition which is highly resistant to deterioration from contact with gasor lin or other hydrocarbons. This elastic packing V is non-compressible and deformableso that it,

can vbe pressed into tight engagement with the outer surface of they tube. As shown in Figure 1,v

the elastic packing is normally shaped-before tightening of the coupling memberstoprovide an internal cylindrical surface dimensioned so as to slip freely on to the-tube before the same is flanged. The outer suriace of the packing, is inclined substantially symmetrical with respect position shown ings 22 and 14 may edge of the flared. stantially equals the Y is, toward the rib"! a, would, it great to the tapered surface I! on the .end' of the skirt portionof the male couplingmember.

In assembling the coupling,the parts assume the in Figure 1 with the-outer tapered surface of the packing in contact with the tapered surface i=1 onthe'end 'of the male couplingmember 'andwith the inner surfaceof the packing in contact with the outer surface of the tubeslightly above the flaredend 2| thereof. Whenthe couplingmembers are tightened relativeto one another the non-compressible packing is deformed Q the lower end of :the packing to be forced past the flared end of the tube although under normal conditi'onsthe covering 24 will prevent this.

However, should the strain in pulling out the tube be great enough to cause "the flared end 20 of the tube to approach the rib IS, the space beand caused to-flrmly grip the tubeas shown in Figure 2'. Also, the depending rib I! on the fe-' male coupling member elastic packing, as does the internal annular rib becomes imbedded inthe.

tween 'theouterend of the flared portion 2. on the tube and theinner edge of the rib Ii will be so small as to-prevent extrusion of the packing, thus preventing failure and leakage in the cou- .pling.

- In the modified form of the invention shown" in Figure 3, the female coupling member Ila is I. on the male coupling member. Similarly, the

packing is forced into contact with the adjacent flared end II of the tube T.

to prevent extrusionfof the elastic In order packing between the inner edge of theshoulder substantial-ly identical with the female coupling member shownin connection with Figures 1 and 2.- Thus, there is provided an inwardly directed shoulder Ila which is provided with a depending ribYiIa on the under surface thereof. The male coupling. member Ila includes a fluid passage Ha "on the female'couplingmember, there :is pro-.

'vlded acovering 22 [which extends across the outer end of the elastic packing. This covering,

If is provided with a cylindrical inner-surface of the packing and is disposed in contact with the tube.

face of the skirt portion on the male coupling member, there is provided'a covering 24' which extends across the relatively small inner end of downwardly turned skirt portion: 23 which preferably extends along the V In order to prevent extrusion of the packing from-between the flared end of the tube T. and the inner surthe elastic-packing. The top and bottom cover- When the coupling members'are'tig'htened relative to one another so that they assume the posi-'- 'tion shown in Figure 2, the rib ilon'the shoulder ll of the female coupling member forcesthe covering 22 inwardly so that trusion of the packing between the inner edge of the shoulder ll and the tube by substantially checking the flow of the packing material in that region. Similarly, the skirt portion "on the covering 12 serves to prevent extrusion of-the material between the tube and the inner edge of the shoulder l8. Likewise, the inwardly extending annular rib 16' around the skirt portion of the male couplingmemberbecomes imbedded itbecomesimbedded in the elastic packing and this tends to prevent ex- I be made of any suitable flex lble but'substantially non-stretcl'iable material,

fabric filler 26a and a 5' the packing is itself and a recessed portion Ila within the skirt portion lid. However, the inner surface of the skirt portion'iia is'not provided with an inward rib but igtmerely provided with an elongated tapered surfacel'la. The elastic-packing lla'is'substantially identical with the form of packing shown in Figures'l and 2, and'is shapedbetween the adjacent surfacesof the coupling members when they are tightened relative to one another so that it will assume the position shown in Figure 3. This form of the invention may be conveniently employed when it is certain'that there will notbe any excessive strain on the tube T tending to pull 1 the same out of the coupling. I

V In the form of the invention shown'in Figure 4, the male coupling member I lib issubstantially the same as the male coupling member lila shown in Figure 3. The female coupling member i'lb is provided withtan-inwarcll extending shoulder llb which is provided with 'a'n inclined under surface Mb. The outerend ofthe skirt portion lib on the malecoupllng member is oppositely tapered, asat l1c,'with respect to the tapered under surface 191: on the'shoulder ilb. This form of coupling is advantageous in that it tends to crowd the elastic packing between the tapered surface more tightly into contact with the tube. In-Figures 6 and 7, modified forms of the elastic packing are'illustrated. In Figure 6, the elastic packing-Ila is completely housed within th covin the elastic packing and also serves to check the flow of the packing upon-tightening of the coupling members. The covering assumes substantially the position shown in Figure 2 and thus serves to preventyextruding of the elastic coupling' members, that pulled outwardly of the enough, cause internal diameter of the rib It although the tube canbe passed therethrough in assembling. Any tendency for the tubeto be "ment with the tube and the coupling members do I packing between'the flaredendof the .tubeand' 1 the innersurface of the Y ink serves as the direct holding means for the. i

ering 28 .which'may be-of plain fabric, as shown in Figures 1 and-zg'orit may be the rubber covered type shown in Figure 5. In Figure 7, the elastic packing lib is formed from laminated stock which maybe made up of alternate layersof fabric 29 andrubber ll. 1 v a From the foregoing description, it willbe seen that thepresent invention provides a tube' coupling wherein thetubeisi flexibly and elastically clamped bymeans of an zelasticipacking. Upon tightening of-the connected male and female coupling members relative. to one another, the elastic 'packing is deformed into tight engagenot make contact Wlth'the tube so that'the tube is flexibly and elastically'clamped. This type of coupling is advantageous in'that the elastic packtube and alsoserves to "absorb any strains which areset up in the tube. When the coupling members andthe elastic packing are constructed and arranged in the manner described, suflicient wrench pressure can be exerted on the coupling members so as to cause the elastic packing or clamping members'to firmly clamp the tube with out causingthe deformable packing to be extruded from the coupling members with a consequent failure of the coupling.

' It is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and ,ar-

rangement of parts may be made without depart 7 ing from the scope of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims] I claim: v i

1. A coupling for tubes comprising a pair of connected coupling members, an elastic packing disposed within said coupling members and surrounding and servingv to flexibly and elastically hold the tube in said coupling members, means preventing extrusion of said packing from between the tube and said coupling members dur-,.

ing normal stresses due to vibration whereby to prevent failure of the coupling, and means providing a rib portion extending inwardly toward the tube and disposed intermediate the extremities of said packing so as to be imbedded in the packing, and the tube having an outwardly flared end maintained by. the packing out of contact with the coupling members and having. an external diameter substantially equal to but not greater than the internal diameter or said rib portion whereby to further prevent extrusion of the packin when the tube is subjected to excessive longitudinal pulling strains.

tions 01' the packing between the tube and the coupling members for preventing extrusion of the packing, and means projecting inwardly from one of said coupling members to a point sub s'tantially aligned longitudinally with the outer edge of the flared end 01' the tube and imbedded in' the packing intermediately of the ends thereof to limit flow thereof during tightening of the coupling members, the flared end of the tube and 2. A coupling for a tube having an outwardly flared end and comprising a pair of connected coupling members, an elastic'packing disposed within said coupling members and surrounding and serving to flexibly and elastically supp rt the elastically support the tube out of contact with the coupling members, means providing a covering for the ends of said packing to prevent extrusion thereof, a rib on said shoulder extending toward the adjacent covering and adapted to be imbedded therein whereby to check normal tendency of the packing to flow when the coupling members are tightened relative to one another and a rib on the male coupling member extending inwardly in position to be imbedded in the o packing intermediate the ends thereof whereby tube out of contact with the coupling members, a

' non-metallic element extending at least over por- 35 to check normal tendency of the packing to flow axially oi. the tube when the coupling members are tightened relative to one another.

L. PARKER. 

